Rage Online Blog

Kick off

Following the unrivalled success of my previous post about Headington FC's beginnings (well one person gave good feedback) I thought I'd follow it up with a look at the side's first games.

The first known game that Headington played was recorded in the St Andrew's Church, Headington, Parish Magazine in December 1893. It is reproduced below:



The text of the article reads:

Sadly there is no record as to whether the game was a home or away fixture, nor of who had the honour of scoring Headington's first goal. Cowley Barracks was the regimental headquarters of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (OBLI) and was located in Hollow Way from its inception in 1877 until it was demolished in about 1966. The Barracks football team would join the Oxford City Junior League the following season, which was also when Headington would join that league.

We know from the Jackson's Oxford Journal of 20 January 1894 that Headington's second reported game was a home match, and that the Reverend John Holford Scott-Tucker scored twice, and the club's founder Dr Robert Hitchings scored the other in a 3-3 draw with Victoria, who competed in the City Junior League. Although Victoria played their home games in Marston, from what I can discover the football team was nothing to do with the Victoria Arms, but instead represented the Victoria Tea Rooms in St Clements. This is the report of the game:



It reads:
VICTORIA v.HEADINGTON UNITED. - This match was played on Saturday at Headington, before a good company. At the start Headington held the upper hand, for the Rev. Scott-Tucker soon registered two goals by good rushes, but it should be mentioned that the Victoria only had six of their original team that was selected to do battle for them, and in consequence of that and the corners only being about 27 yards from the goals, the Victoria for some time were at fault. However, a good run on the left wing by the Victoria forwards was the means of registering a goal, the game at half-time standing at two to one in favour of Headington. Upon re-starting, play for the most part was in the homesters' territory, and a fine run by New equalised. Again that player was prominent by adding another for the "Vic.," but a good bit of play by Dr. Hitchings made the score equal, and though the remainder of the game was in the neighbourhood of the home goal, the visitors could not score, and so a very enjoyable match ended in a draw of three goals each.

Note that the report refers to Headington United, even though the football club wasn't called this until 1911. This was presumably due to confusion with the rather more established Headington United Cricket Club, with which the football club shared many personnel.

The following week the sides met again, this time at Victoria's ground, but Headington were somewhat overwhelmed and went down 6-0, as the Jackson's Oxford Journal of 27 January 1894 explains:



VICTORIA v. HEADINGTON UNITED. - The return match between these teams was played on the ground of the former at New Marston, before a good attendance of spectators, on Saturday last. The Victoria, who were well represented, played a good game, and eventually won by six to nil, the goals being obtained by Plumridge three, Ashmore two, and New one.

Labels: Cowley Barracks, Headington, History, Hitchings, Scott-Tucker, Victoria